Variable-speed gear or drive



Patented Jan. 16, 15251 Application December 22, 1945, Serial No. 636,998 -In, France December 29, 1944 9 Claims;

This invention relates to regulators of the angular speed .of a driver, and more particularly to a device for progressively varying the angular speed of a driver, as well as changing the direction thereof.

In the transmission ofmechanical energy from a prime source to actuate a mechanism that operates at a different rate or' at variable-rates, gearsand belts have been chiefly employed up to the present. However, none of these mecha nisms will give more than afew fixed intermediate rates of angular velocity between the high and low rates for which the mechanism is designed. V

' It is an obiect of this invention to provide a device that will permitthe selection of any desired angular speed between any designated high and low points.

Afurther object isto-provide in the same equipment a mechanism for changing the direction of the angular speed. w Still another object is to reduce noise in the transmission of mechanical energy.

.1 Other objects will become apparent in the course of the following specification,

Theobiects of the present inventionare rea1-- iz'ed by providing a combination of differential and conical friction gearing for direct connection of the inventive concept wherein a friction belt is between, for example, a driving motor and a machine requiring variable angular velocity. Rather than a series of countless gears or pulleys and belts, the device of this invention gives the same result inconsiderably less-space and with less equipment. r

The invention will appear more clearly from the following description when taken in connection'with the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top-plan view of a device for progressively varying j the angular speed of a driver, constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary tol lan view of p another embodiment adapted to maintain the conical roller members in substantial contact with the conical follower.

-Eigure 3- is a fragmentary top-plan view of a disc drive used to automatically vary the points of. contact of the roller discs I4, shown in Figure 1, with the conical follower, also illustrated in Figure 1.

"shafts i and 8.

substituted for the conical roller members.

Referring now in greater detail" to the embodiment of the device shown in Figures 1 and 3, reference numeral fi'indicates the driver shaft, l the conical follower, l2 the conical roller members, and Hi the roller discs.

The gears Ill and 2 are keyed upon'the driver shaft 6. The gear dis keyed to the shaft i and the gear I I to the shaft 8, theshafts i and 8 being parallel to the shaft 6". The conical roller members i2 are splined on shafts I and 8 and rotate therewith. The roller discs M are mounted loosely on the conical roller members it. The conical follower I is loosely and rotatably mounted on the driver shaft 6. The bevel gears 3 and 4 are rotatably mounted on the follower t meshing with the aforementioned gear 2 and a gear 5' which is fixedly mounted on the driven shaft f5. The springs l3 prevent the conical roller members l2 from moving freely along the In addition, pressure rings H are inserted near the center of the shafts l and 8 in order to keepthe conical roller members i4 securely against the outside surface portion of the shafts i and 8' to which the gears it and *H are'keyed. The angular velocity of the shafts T' and 8 is imparted to the splined conical roller members if, thence to the roller discs M loosely mounted on said members i2, and thence 'to'the conical follower I. turn, motion to the gears 3 and ii rotatabiy mounted thereon and which mesh with the gears Z-andt; thus the gear'5 is rotated with an angular velocity which is the same as that of the driven-shaft it to which it is keyed. The variation in the angular velocity of the driven shaft Ibis controlled by adjusting the point of contact between the conical roller members M and the follower i by the device shown in Figure 3, which will be described hereinbelow. Since the follower I has an outer'p'eriphery of concave shape, and since the roller members ii are conical, a movement of the roller discs M on the conical roller members i2 along theperiphery of the follower l will'vary the speed of the follower l and con-' sequently theplanetary rotational speed of gears Figure 4 isan end view of another embodiment 3 and 4.

The follower I imparts, in

Another pressure means serving as a substitute for the springs 53 is shown in Figure 2. Here, the tension of the spring l9, between a roller l8 pressing against the axis 8 of the conical roller.

members I2 and the slide bar on the screw 2 l, is adjustable by the handwheel 22. By this method, pressure against the axis 8 of the conical roller members I2 is uniformly distributed and may be adjusted asdesired.

The control of the positioning of the roller discs [4 of Figure 1 is shown in Figure 3. The

forks 23 are mounted upon rods provided with the inverse threads 24. The forks 23 have legs which are placed over the discs I4, so that the discs 14 will be shifted along with the forks 23 when the latter are moved by the turning of the threaded rods 24. By turning the handle 25 simultaneously and uniformly as desired, the movement of the handle 25 being transferred to the rods 24 through the gears 23 and'2'l, and thence by belt over the pulleys 23; The rate of angular speed of the axis of the conical roller members l2 may be obtained when desired by passing the chain over the pulleys 3| and 32, the latter being keyed to the speed indicator 34 and actuating the dial hand 33 thereof by any suitable means.

A modification of the means "in transferring the energy of the driver to the follower is shown in"Figure 4. Here the endless belt 35 replaces theroller discs l4 shown in Figure 1. At least two conical roller members I2 are disposed on either side of the follower I as shown in Figure 4,,and similar members 35 at the top and bottom. An endless belt 35 is then passed, over the conical members 35 and between the outside surface porby other suitable means.

It is apparent that the specific illustrations shown here have been given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that the structures shown above are subject to wide varia-' tion without departing from the scope or intent of the present invention. All of such variations and modifications are'to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A variable speed mechanical drive comprising a driver shaft, a driven shaft in opposed alignment to said driver shaft, a follower substantially in the form of double cone frustums joined along the bases of minimum diameter, means loosely and rotatably mounting the follower on the driver shaft, at least three bevel gears, two of the bevel gears being keyed at the opposed ends of the shafts, the third bevel gear being rotatably mounted on the follower and adapted to mesh with the bevel gears on the shaft ends, and means applying angular velocity of opposite direction from the driver shaft to the follower.

2. A variable speed mechanical drive according to claim 1 in which the means applying angular velocity of opposite direction from the driver shaft to the follower comprises a gear keyed to the driver shaft in front of the follower, at least one conical roller member, at least one roller disc adapted to be moved along the conical roller member, a shaft for the conical roller member, the conical roller member being keyed to the last-mentioned shaft, a gear keyed at one end of the last-mentioned shaft and meshing with the gear upon the driver shaft and rotatable mounting means maintaining the last-mentioned shaft substantially parallel to the driver shaft and the roller disc in friction contact with the follower and. the gears in mesh.

3. A variable speed mechanical drive according to claim 2 is characterized by a pressure ring disposed substantially at the center of the shaft forthe conical roller member on the outside and adapted to maintain the roller-disc in friction contact with the follower.

4. A variable speed mechanical drive in accordance with, claim 1, in which the means applying 5. A variable speed mechanical drive according to claim 1 in which the means applying angular velocity of opposite direction from the driver shaft to the follower comprisesa gear keyed to the driver shaft in front of the follower, at least two conical roller members, a roller disc adapted to be moved along each conical roller member, a

shaft for the conical roller members, means keying one conical roller member at each end of the shaft and a gear keyed at one end of the lastmentioned shaft and meshing with the gear of the driver shaft.

6. A variable speed mechanical drive according to claim 5 comprising longitudinal adjustment means, and spring tension means maintaining the conical roller members substantially at the ends of the shaft.

7. A variable speed mechanical drive according to claim 5 in which the shaft for the conical roller member is characterized by spring tension means-substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal center line at the center of the shaft for the conical roller member on the outside come, prising a spring, a slide bar, anda screw; means adjustably securing the slide bar over the screw with the spring disposed between the shaft and slide bar, and meansadjustably securing the screw and varying the tension of the spring against the shaft.

8. A variable speed mechanical drive comprising a driver shaft, a driven shaft in alignment with said driver shaft, a follower substantially in p the form of double cone frustums 'joined along the bases ofminimum diameter, means loosely and rotatably mounting the follower onthe driver shaft, at least three bevel gears, two of the bevel gears being keyed at the opposed ends of the shafts, the third bevel gear being rotatably mounted on the follower and adapted to mesh with the bevel gears on the shaft endsand means least one roller disc adapted to be moved along the conical roller member and in frictional contact with said follower, a shaft for the conical roller member, the conical roller member being keyed to the last mentioned shaft, the last-mentioned shaft beingsubstantially parallel, to the driver shaft, a thread shaft threaded in opposite 5 direction at each end, forks adapted to be fitted over threaded ends and holding said roller discs and manual means for rotating the last-mentioned shaft.

9. A variable speed mechanical drive according to claim 8 which is characterized by mechanical means automatically indicating the angular velocity of the conical roller members.

PIERRE TOUT-KOWSKY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Baker May 27, 1897 Chapman Aug. 22, 1911 Berger Aug. 5, 1913 Garrard Apr. 16, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany May 20, 1895 Italy Nov. 11, 1932 Germany Dec. 17, 1932 

